Shipping box



Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM A. wILcox, or recorre, WASHINGTON.

SHIPPING BOX.

Application filed August 8, 1921. Serial No. 490,640.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM A. WIL- Cox, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Tacoma, county of Pierce, State of VaShingtOn, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Shipping Boxes, of which the following is a speciication. y

This invention relates to improvements in shipping boxes, cases or crates, and more 'particularly to a collapsible or knock-down box suitable for the shipping of apples or the like .g the principal object of the invention being to provide a shipping box ythat will be more substantial and satisfactory than boxes now generally in use, and which will be more economical to manufacture.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a box made up of parts that can be assembled by a machine and, when in collapsed condition, will lieA flat so as to occupy a minimum amount of space for shipping or while being stored.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a. box wherein the opposite side sections and the bottom section will permanently be foldabl)T secured together by means of binding straps and the end walls are provided which serve as means for locking the side walls functionally in position.

Other objects of the invention reside in the various details of construction, designed toimprove and simplify the construction of the box, and in the manner of assembling and' securing the parts together. v

1n accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box constructed according to the present invention; the parts being shown in assembled relation ready for shipment.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the various parts of the box. in disassembled relation.

Figure 3 is an end view of the box.

Figure l is an enlarged. detail. sectional view taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 3, showing the means for locking the top rail to the opposite side rails of the box.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 inFigure 3.

Referring more in detail to thel several views of the drawings, wherein like reference vnumerals designate the same orlike parts- V 1A designates, as a whole, a box orv crate constructed according to the present inveiition. This box comprises'opposite side walls 2 and 8, ajb-ottoni wall 4, a topv 5 and opposite end walls 6 and 7, all of which may consist of thin wooden boards or other suitable material cut to the proper dimensions for assembly. The bottom wall 4 has railsA 8 secured transversely thereto across its opposite ends, and these rails, at their ends, are provided with vertical slots 9 and with longitudinally extending grooves 1() alongtheir upper edge-s. The opposite side walls 2r'a`iid 3- have rails 12 secured at their'loppo'site ends, and these rails are provided, at Ltheir lower ends, with tongues 13 adapted to ex,- tend through and fit snugly withinV the slots 9 at the ends of the rails 8 and,y at' their upper ends, have tonguesA 15 provided with upwardly opening slots 16 which are for a purpose presently described. Y

Across the upper ends of eachV ofthe end pieces 6 and `7., is secured a transverse: ra-il 18. These rails are provided, at their ends,

with slots 19 adapted toreceive therein the tongues 15. At the upper ends; of the rails 12 and extending through the ends of the rails "1S and through the slots 19, are pins 20 that are adapted, when the ends are assembled between ythe sides o f the box, to seat wit-hin the slots 16 and to thereby tie the side walls together. Theend walls of the box are of such length that, when they. are

assembled between Ythe sides of the box,V

they will extend at their lower ends into the grooves 10 in the rails 8, and are thereby held against outward movement.

At the base of each of the tongues 13 and 15 of the side. wall rails, the rails are cut in such manner as to form square cut shoulders, as at 22. and these shoulders are adapted, when the parts are properly assembled,

to fit firmly against the edges of the railsl 8 and 18, so that the box will be substantially rigid and will be held in proper form.

Extended about the box, at its opposite ends, are metal straps, or bands, 25 the ends of which are overlapped and secured by means of nails 26, as illustrated in Figure 1.

It is intended, in preparing boxes of this character, that the bottom section and the opposite side sections be assembled and that the bands 25 be secured thereto, as is shown in Figure 2, so that these parts will be held Cil in proper relation for quick assembly, while, at the same time, the box may be knocked down for shipment. When in knocked-down condition, boxes of this character may be laid out flat with the end walls and top disposed within the saine. In this manner a great many boxes mayy be stacked together and will consume a very small space.

When it is desired to assemble the boxes, the opposite sides are folded upwardly until they assume a vertical position and the end walls 6 and 7 are then placed in position by extending their lower ends into the grooves 10 and seating the pins 2O in the opposite ends of the rails 18 within the notches 16 y at the upper ends of the rails 12. After the box has been secured, the top is placed in position and the ends of the bands 25 drawn across the top and secured as shown in Figure l. Other nails may then be driven through the bands and top and, in this manner, the box is made rigid and is in condition for shipping.

It is apparent ythat after the box has reached its destination, if it is desired, it may be collapsed by removing the ends and may then be crated with other boxes for storage or shipment.

It is also apparent that a box of this cha-racter could be made at a relatively small cost, would be rigid and substantial when assembled and would satisfactorily serve the purpose for which it is intended.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

l. In a box of the character described, a bottom wall having rails fixed transversely thereto at its opposite ends, opposite side walls having rails xed at their ends; said latter rails being connected at their lower ends with the end of the rails of the bottom wall, and having tongues at their upper ends provided with upwardly opening slots, end

`walls for the box, rails fixed across the upper ends of said walls and provided with grooves at their ends for receiving the tongues at the upper ends of the side wall rails and pins extended through the said grooves to be received within the tongue slots for the purpose set forth.

2. In a box of the character described, a bottom wall having rails fixed thereto at its opposite ends; each of said rails having z grooves at opposite ends and a longitudinal groove across its upper edge, side walls for the box having rails fixed at their ends provided with tongues at their lower ends' that are dovetailed within the grooves at the ends of the rails of the bottoni wall and having tongues at their upper ends provided with upwardly opening slots, end walls for the box adapted to be seated'at their lower ends within the longitudinal grooves of' the bot* tom wall rails and having rails fixed across their upper ends provided with end grooves for receiving the slotted tongues of the side wall rails andhaving pins through said grooves adapted to seat within the slots of' the latter tongues for the purpose set forth.

3. In a box of the character described, a bottom wall having rails xed thereto at its opposite ends; said rails having grooves at its opposite ends and longitudinal grooves across their upper edges, side walls for the box having rails fixed at their ends provided with tongues at their lower ends that are dovetailed within the grooves at the ends of the rails of' the bottom wall and having tongues at their upper ends provided with upwardly opening slots, end walls for the box adapted to be seated at their lower ends within the longitudinal grooves of the bottom wall rails and having rails fixed across their upper ends provided with grooves for receiving the slotted tongues of the side wall rails and having pins through said grooves adapted to seat within the slots of the later tongues, a cover applicable to the box and flexible bands secured to the bottom and side walls about the opposite ends of the box whereby these parts are held foldably togetherand with an end portion disposed in position to extend across the cover member and to be secured to the box to hold the parts of the saine in functional position.

Signed at Seattle, VVashingt-on this 2nd day of August 1921..

WILLIAM A. WILCOX. 

